最近世代之爭有新話題，就是戰後一代單單以他們龐大的數目壓垮下一代。我們都知道，二戰結束後各國生活安定百廢皆興，產生一個嬰兒出生熱潮（baby boom），所以戰後出生一代又稱baby boomers。如今baby boomers逐漸進入老年，不管有錢沒錢，政府都要通過各種公共服務全部或部分負擔這群為數龐大的老人潮的“活著”需要。這重擔當然不是今天才發覺，日本及歐洲很早就意識到這潛在危機。不過，近二三十年全球經濟表現優異，令人覺得只要好景繼續下去，難關應該可以安然闖過。
一場席捲全球的金融風暴，令一切改觀。各國政府大灑公帑救市，雖令經濟不致沒頂，卻讓公共財政陷入萬劫不復的天文赤字。在此情況下，還要照顧老人，豈不是要年輕一代活在納稅“永遠”趕不上開支，政府債台高築跟破產無異的日子？年輕一代有責任犧牲自己的將來養活上一代嗎？上一代受之無愧嗎？這算不算真正的世代之“爭”？
現任英國政府Minister of State for Universities and Science的David Willets剛推出新書，題為The Pinch: How the baby boomers stole their children's future - and how they can give it back，為這話題提供他的分析。且讀/聽/看這位思人兼政客的夫子自道：
- Standpoint: Should Baby Boomers Feel the Pinch?
- British Academy event with streamed audio: Robbing our own future: intergenerational justice under the microscope
- Anatole Kaletsky: This is the age of war between the generations- Tim Congdon: Don't blame the baby boomers
- Jenni Russell's review on New Statesman
- Steve Sailer's review
- John Redwood: The Generation game
- 陶儀芬：長輩奪走年輕人的未來？
在澳洲的華人Baby Boomers朋友，人人都要買第一輛車給子女。
回覆刪除子女結婚的住屋，不幫他們付清全部也要代付首期。
從“上一代壓垮下一代”的觀點看，華人baby boomers支付子女的大型開支正好局部平衡了他們一整代將在公共財政上壓垮下一代的危機，亦即是，通過世代之間的財富轉移達到“how they can give it back”的一個做法。
回覆刪除Chris兄說“在澳洲的華人Baby Boomers朋友，人人都要買第一輛車給子女。子女結婚的住屋，不幫他們付清全部也要代付首期。”
回覆刪除剛讀了英國另一位國會議員就The Pinch的評論。他說：
My first reaction was that he is wrong. His case that the baby boomers have amassed so much wealth in houses and pensions that they have made life difficult for their children seemed to miss the obvious point that the baby boomer’s children will benefit from their parents wealth. David argues that baby boomers have pushed house prices beyond the reach of too many young people, but surprisingly few children inherit homes because the baby boomers go on to spend the value of their home on a good time or later on care in old age. Yet I meet children whose parents pay their home deposit, children who inherit their parents’ homes, and younger people who work in the businesses and care homes that the elderly are spending their money on. One way or another the wealth of the older generation has to find its way into the pockets of the younger generation. You cannot take your wealth with you on death. Parents often remain very generous to their children long into their childrens’ adulthood. If they spend it on themselves instead, those younger people in work get some of the benefit.
（全文網址： http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=6571）